Chapter 6:

Tyra lept forward and grabbed the mouse, and tried to pull her back onto the shore. The ship-long pike, though, had a good latch on Kessa. Tulia, knowing that her friends were lost if she didn't help, grabbed a stick as long as herself, and swung it hard at the pike. It hit the pike square on the head, and it let go of Kessa, surprised. It then latched onto the stick, which Tulia had promply dropped after hitting it. Slowly, it slid back into the water.

"Well," Kessa said. "That's a life lesson - Look before you step into a ford."

"Right, Kessa, but now you've made our crossing a lot more difficult," Tulia said, watching the pike crowding around the bank, waiting for another creature to unwittingly place a paw in their domain.

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The four trackers, Sassy, Muddy, Vicy and Tuthine, trotted down the path, watching the path above. They suddently heard the shouting up ahead, and began running towards the ford.

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Trying to figure out how to cross the ford, Tyra stared downriver. She saw a large tree happening to float down towards the pike (what luck...lol).

"'Ey, I got a good idea, everyone. Help me pull that log up 'ere."

After completing that task, they pilied onto the log, and Tyra drew her sword. She waved it at the pike.

"No, iffn any one o' you feels pike enough to attack us, you're gonna get your 'ead chopped off!

The trip, actually, was uneventful. Tyra and Tulia helped Kessa back onto the trail and they soon dissappeared into the woods.

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Tuthine, Sassy and co. arrived at the ford as the pike were beginning to disperse. Luckly, having Muddy the shrew in their group, they crossed the river on a shabby raft. Following the trail of the other three, they did not notice the peering eyes of a rat tracking group that had followed them from the Abbey on the other side of the river.

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" What's the next clue?" Tulia asked.

"Find the spouses, set in stone,

Just beyond the water.

Continue north beyond the woods. I think that's it." Tyra said.

"Um, Tyra," Kessa whispered, "There's someone following."

"Don't look like you know they're there. We'll find out who or wot they are soon enough."

Chapter 7:

Breton spent a sleepless night in the abbey. After the truce was over he learned that his son had also dissappeared. He paced the gatehouse, his wife watching him.

"Don't worry," she said. "They're probably only around the abbey somewhere."

"No, they're not, I can tell," Breton said. "They're outside the abbey. If they can get away from here they might actually be safer then we are."

As dusk fell the relentless pounding of the catapult began again.

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Predak stood with Eric and Ed. She was not too happy with the way the truce had turned out. She was about to say something else when Akhal dashed up.

"Predak," he gasped, out of breath. "I sent a party out after four of the young abbey members that left through the north wall-gate! They were heading north, and I think that they may have been following three others."

"Good. If we can catch them... I must be the only one of you blockheads that knows what the young of the abbey mean to them. If you catch them - all seven of them - then I want them at my feet as soon as you get back here. Remember that, Akhal. When your patrol comes in, all seven of them will come strait to me. If they don't have all seven, send them - captives and all - back out to catch the last ones."

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Tyra and her friends were camped in front of the legendary otter and his wife. Tulia got up and ran her hand over the carved features.

"It is amazing to think that somebeast carved this many seasons ago."

"It is, isn't it. Now, who's going to take first watch?" She looked around at Tulia and Kessa, who had immediatly thrown themselves down on the ground, feinting sleep.

As Tyra watched the flame embers dance over the features of the stone, she began to recall a faint memory of something that she couldn't remember.

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Sassy stopped the three others (Muddy, Tuthine and Vicy) when she saw the flames.

"I think that we may have caught up to them."

"Let's check it out."

They approached the flames cautiously, and then Muddy stepped on a stick.

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CRACK!

The noise of the stick breaking woke up Tulia and Kessa, and Tyra doused the flames.

"Who's there?!" She said.

"Only us." A voice replied, then Muddy, Vicy, Sassy and Tuthine entered the small clearing.

"Wot are ye doin' 'ere?" Tulia demanded.

"Following you, wot else?" Muddy said.

"Shush!" Tyra exclamed. "Sommat else followed ye. Vermin Patrol! We have ta get outta 'ere! Run into the forest! Run until ye reach the outskirts of the woods!

As they dashed out the patrol from the Abbey burst into the small clearing